Piedmont Triad Regional Council (PTRC) is excited to announce awards to four food retail and food supply chain projects through the first round of Growing Food Finance Grants.  These grants are part of America’s Healthy Food Financing Initiative (HFFI) Partnerships Program, a national public-private partnership administered by Reinvestment Fund on behalf of USDA Rural Development.

In total, PTRC distributed $125K in grants to support the project’s goals of improving access to healthy foods in underserved areas, support food supply chain resiliency, create and preserve quality jobs, and revitalize low-income communities. Two projects are women-owned, and three projects are rural.

The four awards announced for the first round include:

• Davidson County Local Food Network based in Thomasville is moving the online food hub, Piedmont Fresh, to a new physical location. They were awarded $10,500 to support materials and supplies, as well as marketing to expand SNAP clientele and increase farm participation.
• The Good Stuff based in Winston-Salem and the nonprofit fiscal agent for Cobblestone Farmers Market was awarded $39,500. They will expand on-site availability through a small food hub with mid-week availability. Funding supports consulting and design, food safety trainings, materials and supplies.
• Heritage Harvest Farms in Pfafftown was awarded $45,000 to increase its food hub capacity for storage, processing and delivery. Funding supports mobile cold storage, supplies, and a card reader for accepting SNAP at eligible pickup sites.
• Lexington Farmers Market was awarded $30,000 to establish a pilot retail site at the market’s Depot location in Lexington during the winter. Funding supports materials and supplies, point-of-sale system hardware, marketing, and a one-time inventory of SNAP-eligible staple and perishable foods.

Another round of grants will be issued through a Request for Applications in Fall 2026. Technical Assistance Workshops continue on a quarterly schedule, and the Growing Food Finance Loan Program will open in Fall 2026.

Learn more about the Growing Food Finance Program: www.ptrc.org/growingfoodfinance

Contact: Food Systems Coordinator, Jennifer Bedrosian | jbedrosian@ptrc.org